The Garden Gallery at the Farm at the Arb is a “story garden” — a living exhibit where we invite community partners from outside the Arboretum to share their stories through plants. These curators design the garden with the plants that tell their story — in the process, elevating voices from communities that are historically overlooked by botanical gardens.
An Igbo Botanical Garden
For the Igbo people of Nigeria, their rich culture revolves around a unique “Market Day” system that influences how they live, trade and even pray. There are four market days each week, which make up the calendar. Farmers, artisans, merchants and traders sell goods such as yams, cassava, palm oil and peanuts.
About Chidi Chidozie
Nigerian American Farmer & Master Gardener
“My dream is to create a global garden, where everyone can share the plants from their cultures,” Chidozie said.
Chidi Chidozie is from the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, where it is customary to share and live communally. When he realized that countless African communities in Minnesota could not access the fruits and vegetables from their homelands, he decided to do something about it. He became a Hennepin County Master Gardener, started four community gardens, contributes to a University of Minnesota research effort, and is now heading the Arboretum effort as a community partner. He teaches people in Minnesota to grow African crops, empowering immigrants to plant the foods that support their cultural and dietary needs.